What is Payload Capacity vs. Towing Capacity?

Last Updated: 9/20/2024

Time To Read: 7 minutes

What is Payload Capacity vs Towing Capacity?

Real talk: there are a lot of confusing names and acronyms in the world of towing, and it’s really easy to get them mixed up (especially if you’re still new to the whole thing). Take payload capacity and towing capacity-they sound super similar, but they each mean different things, and both values are important if you want to tow safely. Let’s take a look at payload capacity and towing capacity, see what sets them apart, and learn how they can actually work together to keep you safe on the road.

What Is Payload Capacity?

Payload capacity is the max amount of weight that you can carry inside your vehicle. If you drive a truck, it’s the amount of weight you can carry in the bed and cabin. To find your vehicle’s payload, you add up the weight of all your passengers, cargo, and equipment (including your trailer hitch). Tongue weight is also factored into your payload, since the weight of your trailer’s tongue presses down on the back end of the tow vehicle.

Payload capacity comes from 2 very important numbers: your GVWR and your curb weight. GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) is the largest amount of weight a vehicle can carry (not accounting for what the vehicle can tow behind it). Curb weight is how much your vehicle weighs when it’s totally empty. To calculate payload capacity, vehicle manufacturers subtract the curb weight from the GVWR. The difference between these two numbers is your payload capacity.

If you want to find your vehicle’s payload capacity, you can check in the owner’s manual, or look at the sticker on the inside of your vehicle’s driver’s side door. It’s important to remember that payload capacity is the MOST weight your vehicle can carry, not the amount of weight you should regularly be toting. Carrying any sort of heavy load is going to put stress on your engine (and all the other components of your vehicle), and the closer you get to that maximum limit, the more wear and tear you’re putting on your vehicle. To minimize that stress, it’s a good idea to keep your payload a little bit lighter than the max capacity.

What Happens If You Exceed Payload Capacity?

You might be wondering, what happens if you go over your payload capacity? The answer is: bad things. Lots of bad things can happen if you overload your vehicle with too much payload.

Exceeding payload capacity is actually illegal, and for good reason. Driving around with too much weight in your vehicle is super dangerous. If you’re pulled over with too much payload on hand, chances are you’ll be getting a pretty expensive ticket.

Not to mention, exceeding your payload capacity is horrible for your vehicle. You can cause significant damage to your engine, frame, suspension, brakes, and tires. You’re also much more likely to experience vehicle performance issues, like problems with your steering and braking, reduced fuel efficiency, and tire blowouts. According to a study by AAA, driving while exceeding your payload capacity puts you at a much higher risk of being involved in a serious accident. And if you’re in an accident with an overloaded vehicle, your insurance isn’t going to cover that damage. All around, overpacking your vehicle is just a bad idea.

You might see chatter online about “ways to increase your payload capacity.” Just to clear up any confusion on that subject, we’ll put the rumors to rest right now. There is no way to increase your vehicle’s payload capacity. It’s a set number, and no amount of vehicle modifications or aftermarket accessories can change that. What you can do is fortify your vehicle so that it’s able to deal with heavy loads more efficiently. You’re not increasing payload capacity, you’re just making it so that your vehicle is less likely to get worn out/damaged by hauling heavy loads. As we mention in this article, towing and hauling will always be hard on your vehicle, even if you're well within the "safe" limits. If you’re someone who regularly hauls, and you'd like to improve the lifespan of your vehicle, you should look into upgrading your suspension and exhaust systems, adding an engine cooling system, and opting for sturdier tires.

It’s also important to remember, how you load and drive your vehicle matters. By driving slowly and loading heavy cargo in front of your rear axles (instead of behind them), it’ll be much easier for your vehicle to slow down, steer, and brake effectively.

What Is Towing Capacity?

Towing capacity is the maximum amount of weight your vehicle can safely tow behind it. Your towing capacity accounts for the total combined weight of your trailer and any cargo that might be in/on it. While payload capacity is a static number that’s predetermined by your vehicle’s manufacturer, towing capacity is somewhat changeable.

Manufacturers often list a towing capacity on the inside of your driver’s side door, or in the owner’s manual, but this number is not accurate and shouldn’t be trusted. This is because the manufacturer’s towing capacity assumes your vehicle isn’t carrying any payload when you’re towing. That’s just not realistic, since most people have passengers, cargo, and equipment in their vehicle when they tow.

A better way to find your towing capacity would be to take your Gross Combined Weight Rating, or GCWR (how much weight your vehicle is rated to carry and pull at the same time) and subtract the weight of the payload in the vehicle, as well as your curb weight (the weight of your empty vehicle).

This number is the accurate limit of what your vehicle can handle. However, it’s still a good idea to keep your tow weight at least 10-20% below your towing capacity. This is because towing heavy loads can be difficult, dangerous, and put a lot of strain on your vehicle. When you keep your tow weight a little lower than the towing capacity, you reduce the likelihood that you'll lose control of the trailer, get into an accident, or cause damage to your vehicle and trailer.

What Happens If You Exceed Towing Capacity?

Like with payload capacity, it’s illegal to exceed your towing capacity. This is for good reason-exceeding your towing capacity is incredibly unsafe.

When you drive with an overloaded trailer, you’re way more likely to deal with trailer sway, lose control of your steering and brakes, blow out your tires, damage your trailer or tow vehicle, and endanger everyone on the road (including yourself).

Towing capacity is also a value that cannot be increased, no matter what the “experts” on the towing forums might tell you. But with the right gear and modifications, you can make your tow vehicle a more efficient hauler. You won’t be able to tow anything heavier than the towing capacity, but you will be less likely to damage your vehicle or have an accident.

If you want to learn more about how you can make your vehicle a better hauler, our deep dive on towing capacity is a great resource to check out. Read it here!

How Are They Related?

Since payload is factored into your real life towing capacity, the more weight you carry in/ on your vehicle, the less weight you’ll be able to tow behind. The same goes for towing capacity, when you have a heavier load in tow, there’s less room in the GCWR to account for a hefty payload.

Going over your payload capacity can also limit the amount of tongue weight you're able to support as well. Since tongue weight presses down on the back end of your vehicle, it's counted into your payload capacity. If you’re carrying a lot of weight inside your v, there won’t be much room left over for tongue weight.

In general, it’s just a good idea to obey your payload capacity and towing capacity. They work together to keep you and your vehicle safe. When one is out of whack, the other will be too.

How Do I Know If My Trailer Is Too Heavy?

What Exactly Is Trailer Tongue Weight?

What Is Towing Capacity?

About Izzy B.

My journey with etrailer.com has had a number of twists and turns. I first started here in 2019 as a Summer Intern with our Content Department. I ended up enjoying the experience so much, that I came back to work at etrailer during several academic breaks throughout my college years. After some time away, I returned last Spring to work at our main warehouse, first as a Picker, and eventually on our Audit Team. Then, at the start of 2024, I was offered the chance to come aboard etrailer's Marketing Department, as a Writer for the Shopping Guide Team. Now, I help our neighbors by creating informational content to aid their shopping experience, ensuring they find the info, products, and solutions they need to get their own journeys underway!

Written by: Izzy B

Last updated: 9/20/2024

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